Some people are speculating about something that a year ago would have been unthinkable: a possible coalition ticket between Mayor Dawn Zimmer and factions once considered her staunchest opponents, including Councilwoman Beth Mason.

This may all be the equivalent of fantasy baseball, with factions of what once might have been called Old Hoboken deciding to work with Zimmer because one of their own, Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, has decided to launch his own ticket to oppose Zimmer in November when many did not want him to.

Speculation was that Frank Raia might run a third ticket that would guarantee Zimmer a victory anyway, splitting the opposition vote. Zimmer has a relatively weak council-at-large slate going into the November election. Under this coalition theory, she might choose to make peace with her former enemies rather than find herself in the unenviable position of losing control of the council.

Raia, however, has been talking to Union City mayor and state Sen. Brian Stack about running for the state Assembly in the place vacated by Ramos – an enticing offer because anybody who runs with Stack will win in that district. But does Raia want it?

This would bring Stack the revenues he needs, and could possibly give him enough capital to go after his arch enemy, state Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, who may be losing clout countywide as Stack supporters pressure the Hudson County Democratic Organization to support Stack and State Sen. Sandra Cunningham, rather than Sacco.

This is a nightmare situation for HCDO Chairman Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, whose old ties to Sacco are strained, but not broken. His need for additional funding to balance his municipal budget may influence his political judgment.

This year is the last large payment from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for purchase of a portion of the former Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne. This piece of land has been a gold mine for filling budget gaps since about 2005, a gold mine that will tap out next year.

Stack’s ties to Republican Gov. Christopher Christie could come in handy when Smith is forced to go hat in hand for help with the budget. But will Smith go so far as to betray Sacco to do it?

Stack tightens ties to Roque

With the appointment of Mario Blanch as assistant municipal attorney in West New York – he is a member of the anti-Sacco Concerned Citizens of North Bergen – Stack has tightened his alliance with troubled West New York Mayor Felix Roque, whose administration is under siege by legal problems and a proposed recall election.

While stouthearted Roque appears ready to fight charges that he was allegedly involved in the hacking of a political opponent’s website, he is also faced with eroding support from former allies, and he has been accused of buying off those who would seek to work against him with jobs, promotions, or contracts. Meanwhile, Commissioner Count Wiley has had a series of fundraisers in anticipation of his recall attempt against Roque, and has introduced candidates for the city commission that seem to cover a wide range of the city, including the waterfront, which in the past has largely refrained from involvement in local elections.

Wiley isn’t the only candidate looking to take a bite out of Roque. Former West New York Mayor Sal Vega appears to be interested in getting his old job back and has apparently been seeking powerful people outside West New York for support, such as Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop.

There are polls and then there are polls

Jersey City is awash in political polls trying to determine how candidates are doing citywide as well as ward by ward. Two months from the May election, Mayor Jerramiah Healy and most of his candidates appear to be holding their own, and – if you believe his supporters – may actually be leading by one to five percentage points.

Healy apparently did a poll. So apparently did Fulop. And there was poll allegedly conducted on behalf of Gov. Christopher Christie.

Fulop’s strongest, at least best known, candidates are Assemblyman Sean Connors, Councilman Rolando Lavarro, and Councilwoman Nidia Lopez. But Connors and Lopez may not bring Fulop votes even if they win, partly because of all the ill will the Fulop camp engendered with their followers in the past. Fulop even tried to keep Lopez from being seated, and the conflicts between Connors and Fulop are equally notorious.

If Cunningham comes out for Healy as expected, Fulop will have to spend a lot of resources in the southern portion of the city, and with Dan Levin running on the Healy ticket in Fulop’s home ward, Fulop can’t even take that for granted. Ward F, Ward D, and Ward C are seen as tossup council races.

Healy’s fundraiser earlier this week brought out about 800 people at about $150 a head. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed to Healy but did not attend.

School board elections

Fulop will have to pay some attention to the April school board election in Jersey City, but can’t afford to be distracted by it, since his participation in past school board election has become a campaign issue in his mayoral bid.

Known for being able to muster his forces to work hard for candidates, Fulop may be less of a force in this year’s school race when he is busy getting his council candidates elected. In the past, the school board race has been something a test run for his political organization, this year it might be an albatross around its neck.

Meanwhile, the Secaucus school board election is already creating some controversy. Maryann Weiner said she is running for reelection, but not as part of a ticket with Trustee Sal Manente and former Trustee Tom Troyer.

Dancing Rudy. I have exposed you for your dishonesty so you disappear for a few weeks and come back. You run a web site that repeats everything Town Hall tells you and serves to make up lies in order to prop up your mayor. You make money from paid subscribers including mayoral spouse (HobokenLeaks I beleive) and from advertising. In other words you make money by repeating what the mayor says and wants yo to write.

Consequently you go on patch and the NJ.com and this web site to discredit real news organizations.

On patch you even constantly say under various screen names, "Oh, I better go look at the real story on Horse web site now." Of course, that is your own site.

We get it, beth mason is a scourge. But by being ethically bankrupt and presenting yourself as an honest voice you keep Hoboken in the dark ages too. You m ay be better then her but you are pretty bad.

Not as bad as Stan Grossbard, the mayors husband, who posts on different websites attacking news organizations who print the truth about city hall or fail to print slander against her enemies.

Someone on the Horse site called the councilwoman opposing the mayor a "WH---." How does Dawn feel about the constant sexism? If Dawn were called a who--- on a site, I would hope eveyrone would be angry. And no it wasnt in this case used as a metaphore.

Roman here are some questions that I asked on your site once before and got censored:

1, You posted falsely that the owner of 411 was moving to Vt. Completely made up and you posted it. Ever run a retraction? As usual you didn't reach out to the person you were writing about like say Patch would do. You just PRINTED LIES ABOUT SOMEONE.

2. Same deal about the person who is suing you, who's name I won't say as it is part of a suit. You printed a story about him moving out to town as if that's really news, but he is a close supporter of Beth so it was ok to LIE about him. You actually madde that "paid content" so someone paid for your LIE. Now here is the question...

3. When parking guru Ian Sachs was planning to move out of the ENTIRE COUNTRY, and this would have a public policy affect, not a word was on your sight. If you print rumors you have barely heard or just plain made up, did you really not hear that this was coming? if you heard, did you hold it because he is part of Zimmers administration? Why the double standard?

That is just one of the many lies you publish.

Also, where are the FBI arrests you used to promise every month? Dont you think that by misleading people you are hurting your town? Print facts about Beth, Timmay etc. all you want but stick to facts not things you make up to earn money, and stop posting on other web sites as

Dancing Rudy and 6 other screen names saying "oh the full story is on horse square view."

4, Did you include ALL your earnings from th esite on your federal taxes this year? including anything you may have been paid by political people? obviously they like what you write. Can we ssee your tax forms as proof since you seem to do a lot of writing on behalf of town hall but nothing really opposed?

5, If it turned out the mayors husband Stan Grossbard WAS posting nasty posts against news organizations who write fair articles that dont always show town hall in a perfect light would you be against that? Should Dawn?

These are reasonable questions. Also I have asked questions NOT posted slander so I assume they wil not be censored. I am posting as a concerned citizen. I am sure you will come back with the usual sarcasm or 5 posts from nancy pinkus under her various names, trying to claim you think i am a political operative for Beth. I dislike her too. That doesn't make you anything less then a pawn yourself my friend. And a lying one who is dragging the city down more then ahead. there is hope for you yet but why the lying and allowing people to post things like whore? you are not reform.

oh I have heard a rumor that stan is hoboken leaks, but i do not know the truth so i will not say it's true. unlike you i don't post lies and pretend they are true

Grafix_Avenger

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March 09, 2013

You really are a sick individual.

Posting slurs under a psuedonym calling Mason a "W---" on MSV, then coming here and posting "someone on the horse site said W----". Quite sick.

The above rambling diatribe reveals the extent of your obsessions and of your madness. It reads like a fingerprint and you are fooling no one. Your obsessive focus on the screen names of others, trying to out people (like anyone but you gives a damn), accusing others of multiple screen names... there's only one crazy in hoboken who'd wriite such a loony litany. Someone who is THAT obsessed with the mayor, her husband and with BLOGS.

Yes folks. This loon is the one who wrote those slurs on MSV in order to blame it on reform. A cheap dirty dopey trick. He's a Mason political operatve. Attempting to make Mason look like a victim.

DancingRudy

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March 04, 2013

So Al who are those mysterious people speculating that Zimmer will just hand over control of the City Council to Beth Mason? Are they the same people who last year told you that people were urging Mason to run for Governor? Maybe they're the same people who said that Beth Mason had the Assembly seat in her pocket, who then said Mason had told Brian Stack to take a hike, and who now say she's got the Assembly seat again.

These mysterious people sure do speculate alot. Sometimes I get the idea they get their kicks making up the most ridiculous things they can think of just to get a laugh or two when good ole Al actually prints it.